October 7 marks the solemn first anniversary.
These are the individuals we have lost. If you are blessed not to need to attend Yizkor services for lost loved ones this year, show up to share a moment of remembrance for these souls.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/those-we-have-lost/
Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Return, is the Shabbat between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur.
Nesshama Carelbach’s beautiful rendition of her father’s song is a wonderful way to welcome us to this special time.
Close your eyes and become a part of this meditative experience.
G’mar chatima tova, May you have a good seal- May it be a year of health and blessing.
We welcome Shabbat with the song Shalom Aleichem, May Peace be upon you.
It is a message brought by the Angels of the Divine and a way for us to greet each other.
May this Shabbat be one of peace.
Shabbat Shalom
In response to the 1973 Yom Kippur War and inspired by the Beatles, Let It Be, Naomi Shemer created Lu Yehi, Let it be.
This Shabbat, we continue to pray for the hostages to come home, and for the bloodshed to stop.
Shabbat Shalom
Bring them Home
We ache for the day when our people are returned home when all can be held in the arms of loving family. Let us work for this day, let us pray for this day. Peace cannot come soon enough.
Josh Groban shares his gift with us, sending our prayers heavenward.
Shabbat Shalom
#BringThemHome
On Monday evening, August 12, we begin the solemn remembrance of Tisha b’Av, the Ninth day of the Month of Av in the Jewish calendar.
This day marks the great disasters that have befallen the Jewish people: the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other catastrophes. It is a sad day, often a fast day, with prayers of lament, including chanting the Book of Lamentations known as Eicha.
As a people of history, we know persecution too well. AntiSemitism has become more out in the open and widespread. The current war has complicated our relationship with the world even further. There is even speculation that Iran will launch its reprisal attack on this date as a cruel, ironic twist to the ongoing hostilities.
It is a time to acknowledge and share in the sorrow and the martyrdom of so many of our brothers and sisters whose only crime was to be Jewish.
As we reflect on this somber moment, we also take heart in knowing that Am Yisrael Chai, The People of Israel, lives through it all.
You can listen to the chanting of Eicha with its haunting melody here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RBrOiCy40
This Shabbat we continue to pray for peace.
My friend and colleague, Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, shared this prayer, Ein Milim- There are no words, hoping that the hostages will come home so they would enjoy the peace we envision every Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
To all of my friends and family in Israel, I wish you safety.
We all understand the certainty of this uncertain situation. Iran’s response to the Haniyeh assassination could be on Tisha B’Av, or it could be tomorrow, but regardless of the date, it will be.
May you be protected by the IDF and all the defensive systems. May the United States stand shoulder to shoulder, and may many others seeking to limit the destruction also step into the breach.
This is a difficult time, and I wish I could do more than pray, but that is what I have to offer for now.
Chazak v’umatz
May the Divine spread Your canopy of Peace over us, over all the people Israel, and over Jerusalem
Baruch atah Adonai, ha-poreis sukkat shalom aleinu v’al kol amo Yisrael, v’al Yerushalayim
Israel made it clear that it was prepared to engage in a broader war. Targeted attacks, particularly the one that assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran, sent an unambiguous message.
The recent barrage from Iran in the conflict’s latest phase serves as a stark reminder that Iran and its allies are equally committed to intensifying the fight.
We sit on the edge. The words of reprisal portend a substantial response intended to be punishing.
Despite the current turmoil, the potential for peace is not lost. Coexistence, though distant, is not unattainable.
As we enter Shabbat, let us find solace in this sacred moment and fervently pray for the peace of Shabbat to soon embrace us all.
Shabbat Shalom
Erev Shel Shoshanim-Evening of the Lillies is a song of love poetry, a way to understand the beauty of Shabbat. This version is Jane Bordeaux’s.
We welcome Shabbat. As tensions run high and hot, we are praying for peace.
Shabbat Shalom
